Travel Time Value Calculator: The Development of an Analysis Utility in Cube/Voyager

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Travel Time Value Calculator The Development of
an Analysis Utility in Cube/Voyager
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Overview

• Background
• Travel Time Values Tool
• Tool as Catalog
• Tool as Template
• Tool as Application
• Further Developments

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Background

• Assessment of Southeast Florida User Road Costs
• Conducted by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. on
  behalf of the Florida Department of
  Transportation (DOT), District 4
• Developed Travel Time Value (TTV) rates and
  Vehicle Operating Costs (VOC) for various market
  segments in Southeast Florida
• Monetary values in 2004 dollars

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Background

• Florida DOT, Central Office develops TTV Tool
• Requested by Florida DOT, District 4
• Use rates developed during the Assessment
• Integrate TTV and VOC data with modeling in order
  to provide an additional dimension to project
  evaluation

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Travel Time Values Tool

• Objectives of the Tool
• Apply data supported rates for TTV and VOC to
  model estimations
• Arrive at measurable dollar values on a
  link-by-link basis
• Use the Cube/Voyager software package consistent
  with FSUTMS
• Allow the process to be portable

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Travel Time Values Tool

• Applying data supported rates
• Selected Functional Classification as the market
  segmentation for rates
• Rural Principal Arterial-Interstate
• Rural Principal Arterial-Other
• Rural Minor Arterial
• Rural Major Collector
• Urban Principal Arterial-Interstate
• Urban Principal Arterial-Other Freeways/
  Expressways
• Urban Other Principal Arterial
• Urban Minor Arterial
• Urban Collector

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Travel Time Values Tool

• Applying data supported rates (contd)
• Each functional class was associated to an FSUTMS
  facility type and area type combination

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Travel Time Values Tool

• Arrive at measurable dollar values
• Model estimates were factored by dollar rates
• 3 inflation was introduced to allow the analyst
  to convert 2004 dollars to some other analysis
  year
• Values output as link attributes on a loaded
  network

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Travel Time Values Tool
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Travel Time Values Tool

• Use Cube/Voyager and make the Process portable
• Initial strategy involved developing a separate
  Cube catalog for the TTV tool
• This was later refined to a process template

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Tool as Catalog

• TTV Tool first designed as a catalog
• Cube catalogs organize model data and programs
  making models more manageable
• TTV catalog contains only a single application

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Tool as Catalog

• Pros
• Executed like other Cube applications
• Scripting does not need to be replicated nor
  modified for each model analyzed
• Can pull loaded networks from anywhere on the
  users computer
• Allows user to customize rates, attribute names,
  and file locations making the tool compatible
  with data that deviate from FSUTMS standards

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Tool as Catalog

• Cons
• User must remember to pull the correct loaded
  network for input
• Data output as a separate network file that may
  get overwritten or lost
• Requires user to become familiar with interface
• Needs to be executed separately each time data is
  desired

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Tool as Catalog
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Tool as Template

• Desire to integrate TTV and VOC calculations
  within the model stream
• Possible since the TTV tool can be contained in a
  single script
• The TTV calculator is added to a pre-existing
  model like any other Voyager template

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Tool as Template
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Tool as Template

• Pros
• Automatically executed when model is run
• Data output as link attributes in the final
  loaded network
• Inputs are automatically passed through to the
  tool
• No separate interface
• Seamless integration

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Tool as Template

• Cons
• Script needs to be initially modified in order to
  ensure compatibility with the model
• Model needs to be modified to include the new
  template
• Can only be done if a tool is contained in a
  single script

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Tool as Template
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Tool as Template
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Tool as Template
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Tool as Application

• TTV calculator has not been developed as an
  application but other tools have been
• Allows more complex tools to be integrated with
  the model data
• Tool may still need to be run separately from the
  model but can automatically pull data from the
  current scenario

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Tool as Application
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Further Developments

• Continue to support and develop tools and scripts
  within Cube/ Voyager to enhance FSUTMS
• Additional ideas being developed or investigated
• Convert model data to HPMS analysis inputs
• Automatically create input data for new scenarios
• Report loaded highway network statistics

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Further Developments

• Tools, utilities, and scripts will be made
  available to Florida model users on the FSUTMS
  website
• www.fsutmsonline.net
• Tools will be incorporated as they are developed
  into the training model and be made available to
  users

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Thank you!

• Questions?